Train-controlling apparatus.



J. MERRYWEATHER TRAIN CONTROLLING APPARATUS,

APPLlCATlON man .DEC. 9. 1915.

Patented Dec. 12, I916.

LEUKQWQ.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- .JIIIII.

Witnesses Attorneys co Puom ma. WASNINGYDN. 1: cv

J. MERRYWEATHER.

TRAIN CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9. 19x5.

1 'KQT/U, Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Attorneys JAMES MERRYWEATHER, OF GREENCASTLE, INDIANA, ASSIG-NOR OFFORTY ONE- HUNJDREDTHS TO THOMAS BROTHERS, 0F GREEN CASTLE, INDIANA.

Laoaevo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application fiIed December 9, 1915. Serial N 0. 65,972.

To all whom itmag concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MERRY- WEATHER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Greencastle, in the county of Putnam and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Train-Controlling Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification. 7

The present invention appertains to train controlling apparatus, andrelates more especially to a mechanism controlled from the track foropening the train pipe or air line of a train traversing the track, inorder that the brakes can be applied and the train stopped automaticallywhen the track mechanism is properly operated.

It is the object of the invention to pro vide a train controllingapparatus of the nature indicated embodying a novel and improvedmechanism for carrying out the desired results, and whereby theapparatus is comparatively inexpensive and simple, can be readilyinstalled, and will serve its oflice in a thoroughly practical,eflicient and reliable manner.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without depart ing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus depicting the trucks oftwo trains, one in position to pass the ramp, and the other past theramp. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 22 illustratingthe train or truck carried device, portions being broken away. Figs. 3and 4 are sectional details taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail illustrating themeans for mounting one end of the ramp. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail ofone of the ramp operating levers. Fig. 7 is a detail View of one of thesprings used in the train carried device.

The apparatus embodies a train carried device and cooperating trackdevice, the former embodying means for opening the train or air pipe 1of the air brake system in case of an emergency or dangerous condition,so that the brakes will be applied for stopping the train automatically.

The train carried device embodies a trans verse cylindrical valve casing.2 mounted below the air pipe 1, and having upwardly projecting hangers4 for attachment to one of the trucks T of the train. The casing 2 isprovided with an upstanding nipple 5 between its ends connected by ahose section 6 with a T-coupling 1 interposed in the pipe 1, to connectthe casing 2 with the air pipe, the hose section 6 permitting the pipe 1to move upwardly and downwardly relative to the casing 2 as the car bodymoves upwardly and downwardly relative to the truck.

The casing 2 is provided with a lower longitudinal outlet slot oropening 7 and an oscillatory valve 8 is mounted within the casing, saidvalve embodying a cylindrical portion 9 disposed concentrically withinthe casing and having a depending wing 10 provided with a curved surfacebearing upon the lower portion of the casing 2 to normally close theslot 7, whereby to normally prevent the escape of air from the airpipe 1. The casing 2 has a removable end 3 whereby the parts can beassembled and separated.

A pair of opposite alining rock shafts 11 coaxial with the casing 2 havetheir adjacent ends fitted in a bore 12 with which the cylindricalportion 9 of the valve 8 is provided, and said ends of the shafts 11 aresecured to the valve by means of pins 13, the shafts being threaded intothe valve ifdesired. The ends of the casing 2 are provided with packingmeans 14 embracing the shafts 11 to prevent leakage.

The remote ends of the shafts 11, which are disposed at the oppositesides of the truck, are journaled in hangers 15 attached to the bolsteror other part of the truck, said hangers 15 having bearings 16 at theirlower ends, and caps 17 attached thereto through which the shafts 11 arejournaled. Collars 18 are secured upon the shafts 11 by set screws orotherwise and" bear against the inner ends of the bearings 16 to preventthe longitudinal movement of the shafts.

In order that the shafts 11 can be oscillated by the ramp, the remoteends thereof are provided with normally depending crank arms 19 upon theangular terminals of which are mounted for rotation anti-frictionalrollers 20. The arms 19 are normally in pendent position, when the valve8 is closed, and when either one of the arms 19 is swung toward ahorizontal position, the valve 8 will be swung open, to allow the air tobe discharged from the pipe 1 for applying the brakes.

As a means for holding the crank arms 19 raised, to hold the valve 8open, the cap 17 of the bearing 16 at one side of the truck is providedwith a depending semi-circular wing or segment 21 provided at the endsof its curved edge with stop lugs22 to limit the upward movement of therespective arm 19. Aspring 23 is carried by the lower portion of thesegment 21 between the ends of its curved edge, and said spring has ayieldable notch portion 24 for receiving the arm 19 when it is independing position. This spring 23 has yieldable cam portions 25extending diagonally in opposite directions to the notch portion 24,whereby when the arm 19 is swung downwardly to depending position,itwill properly engage the spring 23, so that said spring will hold thearm 19 in proper position so that it cannot swing accidentally, althoughthe arm can be swung by the ramp. p

A pair of upwardly projecting springs 26 I 1 have their lower endssecured, as at 27,

to the curved edgeof the segment 21 and are provided at their upper freeends with portions 28 projecting into the path of the respective arm 19,whereby when said arm is swung upwardly it will move past the portion 28of the corresponding spring 26, so that the arm 19 will be held adjacentthe corresponding lug 22. The springs 26 can be readily releasedmanually for restoring the device to normal position, when the train isto be started, after having been stopped automatically.

The track mechanism embodies a ramp 29 comprising a resilient strip ofsuitable length, and having its terminals mounted for movementbetween-"pairs of rollers 30 carried by thestandards 31 attachedtounderlying cross ties of the railway track R.

The terminals of the ramp are thus mounted 'for sliding movement withlittle or no friction,.a'nd the, ends of the ramp 29 are provided withupturned hooks 32 engageable with the upper rollers 30 for preventingthe withdrawal of the ramp from the guide rollers 30. Ordinarily, theramp 29 is straightenedout: so as to bein inoperative position, and thehooks 32 are therefore moved away from the rollers 30, as seen in Fig.5; r

To bring the ramp into operation, it is bowed or bent upwardly betweenits ends,

and to this end, a longitudinal'series of" transverse'rock shafts orlevers 33 are journaled in'bearings 34 secured upon theties between theends of the ramp, and are provided with upwardly projecting. crank arms35 and upwardly projecting arms 36. Antifrictional rollers 37 aremounted for rotation upon the angular ends of the arms 35 to work underthe ramp 29. A longitudinal operating rod 38 is pivoted to the arms 36,whereby said rod 38 can be operated manually, mechanically orelectrically, for swinging the levers to raise and lower the ramp, thearms 36 being arranged at acute angles with respect to the arms 35, inorder that the arms 35 can be readily swung to horizontal and verticalpositions when the rod 38 is reciprocated.

Straps 39 are disposed below the ramp and have upwardly offset terminals40 secured to the ramp, said straps forming guides for the rollers 37,said rollers being disposed snugly between the straps 39 and ramp 29.

When the rod 38 is moved to the right, as seen in Fig. 1, the leverswill be swung upwardly to raise the ramp 29, and when the rod 38 ismoved to the left the levers will be swung downwardly, and this willstraighten out the ramp so that it will be inoperative.

The crank arms 19 are provided at the opposite sides of the truck inorder that one of said crank arms will be able to cooperate with theramp in either position of the truck. Normally, when the ramp is down,the crank arm 19 can pass thereover without interference, and withoutopening the air pipe 1. However, in case of emergency or danger, the rod38 is pulled to bow the ramp 29 upwardly, so that it will lie in thepath of the respective arm 19, and when the truck passes the ramp, thearm 19 will be swung upwardly by the ramp, and this will open the valve8 and allow the air to escape for applying the brakes, the valve beingheld open by the engagement of one arm 19 with the respective spring 26.In Fig. 1, the right hand truck is positioned to pass the ramp, showingthe arm 19 in depending position, and the left hand truck in Fig. 1 haspassed the ramp, and this illustrates the arm 19 swung upwardly with thevalve opened to stop the train.

The ramp is operable to swing the arm 19 when the train is moving ineither direction, it being noted that the crank arms 35 of those leversspaced from the center of the ramp are of shorter length than the crankarm 35 of the lever adjacent the center of the ramp, whereby the rampwill be I bowed so that its opposite halves are inclined gradually fromthe ends to the center of the ramp, for the effective and gradual upwardmovement of the arm 19.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a train controlling apparatus, an oscillatory valve, a normallydepending crank arm connected to said valve, spring means for holdingthe arm in depending position, stops for limiting the upward movement ofthe arm in either direction, and springs for holding said arm againstsaid stops.

2. A train controlling apparatus embodying an oscillatory valve, abearing, a shaft journaled through said bearing and attached to saidvalve and having a depending crank arm adjacent said bearing, thebearing having a depending segment, a spring carried by the lowerportion of said segment for normally holding the arm in dependingposition, said segment having stops for limiting the upward movement ofsaid arm in either direction, and springs carried by the segment forholding said arm when swung adjacent said stops.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

J AMES MERRYWEATHER.

Witnesses:

ELAM M. DENNY, WILLIAM M. SUTHERLIN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

